The growth of the power of Athens, and the alarm which this inspired in Sparta, made war inevitable.
THUCYDIDESNow the only sure basis of an alliance is for each party to be equally afraid of the other.
More Thucydides Quotes
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Knowledge without understanding is useless.
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Most people, in fact, will not take the trouble in finding out the truth, but are much more inclined to accept the first story they hear.
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Stories happen to those who tell them.
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For they had learned that true safety was to be found in long previous training, and not in eloquent exhortations uttered when they were going into action.
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Wars spring from unseen and generally insignificant causes, the first outbreak being often but an explosion of anger.
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He who graduates the harshest school, succeeds.
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Speculation is carried on in safety, but, when it comes to action, fear causes failure.
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People get into the habit of entrusting the things they desire to wishful thinking, and subjecting things they don’t desire to exhaustive thinking.
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Human nature is the one constant through human history. It is always there.
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It is a common mistake in going to war to begin at the wrong end, to act first, and wait for disasters to discuss the matter.
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For so remarkably perverse is the nature of man that he despises whoever courts him, and admires whoever will not bend before him.
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Remember that this greatness was won by men with courage, with knowledge of their duty, and with a sense of honor in action.
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The cause of all these evils was the lust for power arising from greed and ambition; and from these passions proceeded the violence of parties once engaged in contention.
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We Greeks believe that a man who takes no part in public affairs is not merely lazy, but good for nothing.
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Happiness depends on being free, and freedom depends on being courageous.
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